Choosing a New Year’s resolution

The new year is a time for new beginnings. This is why the New Year’s resolution is such a popular notion. The year is starting over so why can’t I?

I didn’t immediately buy into the idea of a New Year’s resolution. It seems lazy to need a new year to fix something you don’t like about yourself. I realize now I was misinterpreting the idea.

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By Tyson HillNews Writer - St. James PlaindealerTwitter: @plaindlrTysonEmail: plaindlr@stjamesnews.com

St. James Plaindealer - St. James, MN

By Tyson HillNews Writer - St. James PlaindealerTwitter: @plaindlrTysonEmail: plaindlr@stjamesnews.com

Posted Jan. 1, 2013 at 8:00 AM

By Tyson HillNews Writer - St. James PlaindealerTwitter: @plaindlrTysonEmail: plaindlr@stjamesnews.com

Posted Jan. 1, 2013 at 8:00 AM

St. James Plaindealer

The new year is a time for new beginnings. This is why the New Year’s resolution is such a popular notion. The year is starting over so why can’t I?

I didn’t immediately buy into the idea of a New Year’s resolution. It seems lazy to need a new year to fix something you don’t like about yourself. I realize now I was misinterpreting the idea.

New Year’s resolutions aren’t simply about fixing a problem for a year, but making yourself a better person. And, making yourself better isn’t easy. Dedicating a year to the pursuit happiness and creating a habit of positive change is really a great idea.

This past year was the first year I took on a resolution. Mine was the typical “exercise more and lose some weight” goal. I also added another addendum to the promise I made to myself. I wanted to become a more optimistic person. It was clear to me that happiness is something that comes from hard work. It is attained by changing how you look at the world and how open your are toward the people around you. It’s something at which you need to work. And, let’s face it, people like positive people.

Achieving the exercise goal was easy. It was simply creating a calendar and putting a big ‘X’ through the days I worked out. I’m happy to report I dropped 20 lbs over the year. The optimism resolution proved more difficult.

It is difficult to always look at the world in a positive light. There are a lot of negative things that happen everyday. The real challenge was to look past the negative and see the positive.

To quote Steven Kloves “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

I also found it helps to forgive people immediately. Carrying a grudge is like carrying a backpack full of negativity. Forgiveness is laying the bag on the ground and walking away.

As I continue into this new year I will add another resolution to my goals. Where in the past I looked toward inward improvement, this year I will look to improve outwardly.

I will do this by pursuing volunteer opportunities and helping others achieve their goals.

"The difference between who you are and who you want to be is what you do."

By Tyson HillNews Writer - St. James PlaindealerTwitter: @plaindlrTysonEmail: plaindlr@stjamesnews.com

St. James Plaindealer - St. James, MN

By Tyson HillNews Writer - St. James PlaindealerTwitter: @plaindlrTysonEmail: plaindlr@stjamesnews.com